St. Louis Blues right wing T.J. Oshie (74) is pulled from a scrum by Anaheim Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin, right, while holding onto center Ryan Getzlaf, left, during the first period of an NHL hockey game on Friday, Feb. 28, 2014, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

Anaheim Ducks bench celebrates a goal by center Andrew Cogliano, right, during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the St. Louis Blues, Friday, Feb. 28, 2014, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

The Ducks’ first game in 20 days featured a breakaway goal for forward Andrew Cogliano, a shutout for goaltender Jonas Hiller and a milestone victory for coach Bruce Boudreau. It also offered a blueprint on how the Ducks could make a deep run in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Cogliano’s goal was the only one the NHL-leading Ducks would need to take a 1-0 victory Friday night from the No. 2 St. Louis Blues at the Honda Center. Hiller made 18 saves for his fifth shutout of the season and the 21st of his career.

Boudreau collected his 300th victory in his 496th game as an NHL coach, the fastest anyone in league history has reached the milestone. Toe Blake needed 525 games as coach of the Montreal Canadiens to win 300 and Mike Babcock needed 526 to get there.

“After my 200th, I got fired the next game, so it’s fine, I think, but I was happy for the two points,” Boudreau said, smiling. “There were some big men hitting each other. I thought it was like a playoff game, not as artistic as some, but definitely a man’s game tonight.”

No question, winning was important for the Ducks, the last team to end the Olympic break. The Ducks improved their league-leading record to 42-14-5, giving them a five-point lead over the Blues in the overall standings and a seven-point edge over the San Jose Sharks in the Pacific Division.

How the Ducks won was especially eye-catching, however. What they lacked in efficiency they more than made up for in effort. They played a physical game against a very physical team, one that made a bold move earlier in the day by acquiring goaltender Ryan Miller from the Buffalo Sabres.

If the Ducks are to make a deep run in the playoffs, conventional wisdom suggests they’re going to have to ditch their highlight-reel method of operation and play with more grit and determination than during their first-round ouster at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings last spring.

“We talked about it,” Hiller said. “We want to play really solid. We don’t want to give up any odd-man rushes. For being the first game in 20 days, I thought we did a really good job. They’re a tough team to play against. They have big guys. It was quite a battle out there.”

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Cogliano’s first-period goal notwithstanding, the Ducks had moments in which it seemed they had just been introduced to each other. However, they also created a goal with a neutral zone turnover, a deft pass from Saku Koivu and a burst of speed from Cogliano.

Above all, the Ducks seemed willing to battle the Blues for every inch of ice. The Ducks took a hit to make a play, but more often dished out punishment along the boards and in front of the net. David Backes of the Blues was a chief target on a second-period power play, for instance.

In the end, the Ducks outhit the Blues 35-25.

“It was very high-paced,” Cogliano said. “To hold them to only 18 shots was something we’re proud of, for sure. They’re a team that creates a lot of offense because they’re so strong and big. I thought we matched up well with them physically. You have to do that to beat them.”